Penguin & Butterfly
by ElizaJean87
Summary: Nagisa realizes his feelings for Rei after Rei's dangerous incident in the ocean. Pure fluff, with some smut later on.


"You're sleeping in my tent tonight, Rei-chan!" Nagisa stamped his foot and did his absolute best to glare. As usual, it worked on Rei, while Makoto stood by with a pleasant smile on his face.

"What are you implying, Nagisa?" Rei asked sternly.

The blond jumped as if on cue and snatched up his friend's arm. "That you need me to take care of you!" he replied with a beaming smile.

Rei pinched the bridge of his nose below his glasses and sighed. "Thank you for your honesty, but it is not very beautiful to have to be taken care of like a child."

Keeping hold of Rei's hand, Nagisa stepped back and looked the taller boy up and down. Rei promptly blushed. He got the point. Nagisa giggled and scampered into the tent, his speedo-clad bottom wriggling.

Rei desperately looked to his other teammates for help. Haruka was gazing longingly at the ocean while Makoto simply smiled. Rei sighed once again and followed Nagisa into the tent.

"I know that I acted irresponsibly last night going into the ocean on my own, but I really don't need - Ah!" As he turned from securing the tent flap Rei was greeted by the sight of Nagisa's pale naked backside. "N-nagisa! Put something on!" Rei swiftly made an about face. His cheeks surely couldn't get any redder. This was simply unbearable, and utterly _not_ beautiful.

"Okay, okay! There, I'm all covered up now, Rei-chan. You can turn around," Nagisa said.

Rei slowly turned his head, unconsciously biting his bottom lip. Nagisa was indeed clothed in a pair of boxers featuring cavorting penguins. The blond was hugging his knees to his chest and wearing that ever-present grin of his. Rei couldn't help but think that he looked just a little cute like that.

"I guess I'll get changed, too." Rei reached for his bag and selected a pair of running shorts. He glanced at Nagisa. Then looked down at his shorts. Back up at Nagisa. "Um. . ."

The blond giggled, a sound Rei had to admit was quite beautiful like the chiming of shrine bells, and proceeded to turn around and face the other side of the tent. Rei changed into his shorts as quickly as he could, and he thought he saw Nagisa peeking over his shoulder once or twice. Once both boys were out of their swimwear they lay back on their respective pillows.

Rei's eyebrows were furrowed in thought as he reviewed his training progress over the course of the day, while Nagisa turned on his side to gaze at the other boy.

"Rei-chan," Nagisa began, "I wasn't joking about taking care of you."

Rei looked over in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak but was promptly shushed by Nagisa's soft fingertip against his lips.

"Please, let me say this first before you say anything." The blond took a deep breath, and Rei knew right away that he was being completely serious. He had never seen Nagisa this serious, and it made his stomach fill with butterflies.

"When I saw you out in the waves, alone and struggling, I realized that I could really lose you for good." Nagisa's eyes got wide, and a little sparkly with what Rei feared were tears. "I had to save you, Rei-chan. I had to. I couldn't think for even a second what it would be like if you were gone!"

Those were most definitely tears because they were spilling onto his cheeks and dripping on the pillow below. Rei sucked in a breath and unthinkingly reached out for the other boy.

Nagisa responded instantly by tucking himself under Rei's chin and wrapping his arms around the taller boy's waist. "Nagisa. . ."

"Rei-chan, I need you! I need to take care of you and always be here for you and always always have you!" Nagisa cried into his chest. And Rei realized that the emptiness that he had long felt in his heart had actually been full for some time now. Since he had joined the swim team. But what Nagisa was saying meant even more than that, it meant. . .

"I love you, Rei-chan!"

Rei gasped at the declaration and clutched at Nagisa's hair, his shoulders, holding the blond back to look at his face. "N-nagisa, you mean-"

"Yes! I'm gay and I love you and I want to be with you forever!" Nagisa's eyes were sparkling and his lips were smiling and his hands felt so good around Rei's back. He thought back to when he first met Nagisa harassing him to join the swim team. He hadn't expected the enthusiasm, the blatant honestly, the pure sunshine that emanated from the smaller boy's smile. Rei's eyes roved the other boy's face, searching for something to tell him that this wasn't happening, he couldn't love another member of the boy's swim team, there was no way this could be real. But he was met with Nagisa's unwavering smile, and he knew that was wrong.

Rei encircled Nagisa in his strong arms and breathed into his ear, "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Nagisa laughed with joy and hugged Rei even tighter. "I'm so happy, Rei-chan!"

"Me too."


End file.
